Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 166 unique: Today, we’re happy to feature this handsome antique watch — the Lancaster 166. We crafted this stunning wristwatch from a restored pocket watch initially produced by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1928. Its aged dial features stunning gold-plated numerals matching its golden diamond watch hands, as well as a matching subdial. These details glimmer attractively against the dial’s cream-colored background. We further emphasized the watch’s golden details by equipping it with a gold-plated crown, and we encased it within our robust and eye-catching lightly Bronzed Titanium case. Our case features a transparent back, enabling observers to view the historic pocket watch’s original 902-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish, pendant setting, and jeweled motor barrel. The piece also boasts a stylish “Hamilton, Lancaster, PA.” engraving that corroborates the piece’s authenticity, and the movement also displays gold-plated gears and 19 remarkable jewels throughout its center bridge plate. We tied the product together by matching it with our artisan-designed Merlot leather watch, making the completed wristwatch even more impressive.The Hamilton Watch Company originally manufactured the Lancaster 166’s pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1928, which was the same year that Antoine “Fats” Domino was born. Fats Domino was one of the founders of rock ‘n’ roll, and his groundbreaking influence on contemporary music is undeniable. Elvis Presley once referred to him as “The Real King of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” and both Paul McCartney and Bob Marley cited him as a major influence for their music. Although not as famous as other rock ‘n’ roll legends, Fats Domino had four of his records eventually enter the Grammy Hall of Fame, and he was one of the first people to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After a lengthy career in music influencing some of the biggest names of all time, he passed away in 2017 from natural causes.
Movement Manufacturer Information
The movement inside of this watch was made by Hamilton Watch Company. We call this model "The Lancaster" because the company was located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Hamilton is named after famous Pennsylvanian Alexander Hamilton and is the result of multiple re-organizations of attempted watch companies in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1892, Hamilton had a reputation for superior quality and maintained half of the railroad watch market share during some of the most prolific years of American railroad history. During World War II, Hamilton was integral to the production of accurate timepieces for the Military. Deemed "the watch that won the war," the company established an employee-run newsletter so that employees turned soldiers could keep up with life at the factory. While the original factory still stands as luxury apartments, the company stopped producing watches in the US in 1969. Hamilton now produces watches in Switzerland and is owned by the Swatch Group.
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Watch Specifications
- Manufacturer: Vortic Watch Company
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 47mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Sandblasted Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Gold Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3059708
- Manufacture Year: 1928
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 19 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Hamilton Watch Company originally manufactured the Lancaster 166’s pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1928, which was the same year that Antoine “Fats” Domino was born. Fats Domino was one of the founders of rock ‘n’ roll, and his groundbreaking influence on contemporary music is undeniable. Elvis Presley once referred to him as “The Real King of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” and both Paul McCartney and Bob Marley cited him as a major influence for their music. Although not as famous as other rock ‘n’ roll legends, Fats Domino had four of his records eventually enter the Grammy Hall of Fame, and he was one of the first people to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After a lengthy career in music influencing some of the biggest names of all time, he passed away in 2017 from natural causes.
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The Movement
The engine that powers this watch is an antique American pocket watch movement. All the gears and springs that make it tell time are roughly 100 years old on average. We call these watches the American Artisan Series because we're celebrating the history and legacy of the artisan watchmakers who built this engineering marvel a century ago in the United States.
The Story
Today most pocket watches are scrapped for the gold or silver of the case (the outside of the antique timepiece), leaving the inside (what we call the "movement") as trash.
We take pride in upcycling these pieces of American history by salvaging as many as we can, then preserving them inside our wristwatches.
Our expert team of watchmakers restores the antique movement and then we manufacture a custom wristwatch case here in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The Strap
We partnered with Worn & Wound to produce a custom set of straps for our American Artisan Series watches. We now have 15 different colors to choose from including our two Horween Shell Cordovan options. These straps are made in the USA and are based on the Windup Model 2 Premium strap that Worn and Wound offers.
